Page 22 of A Fate in Flames

I mentally cursed myself for not bringing a lantern.

Then she appeared before me.

Zaheera.

My mother’s words did her no justice.She was beyond beauty.A being of fire and shadow, both terrifying and mesmerising.Her intense, ember eyes burned into me as she took a slow step forward.Her sheer presence was suffocating, like standing too close to a flame.

The gold chains adorning her caught the scattered moonlight, gleaming against the dark fabric that did little to conceal her form.

I should’ve bowed—should’ve averted my gaze.But I remained rooted to the spot, unable to do anything but stare.

“It has been many years,” Zaheera said, her voice like silk.“Many long years that I’ve waited for you.”

A shiver rippled down my spine.I had so many questions, but only one demand escaped my lips.

“What was the bargain?”My tone was sharp, much sharper than I’d intended, but I didn’t care.Ineededanswers.

Zaheera’s feline smile widened, yet her eyes darkened to burning coals.“Mind your tongue girl, before I remove it from your mouth.”

Shit.

I swallowed hard but didn’t back down.I met her gaze head-on, my defiance burning just as fiercely as my fear.I didn’t know where all this courage came from, but I latched onto it like a lifeline.

Zaheera tilted her head, amusement dancing in her eyes.

“You’re a feisty one,” she purred, stepping closer.Her breath smelled of smoke and spice.“Keep this up and you might just find your way back.”

My stomach knotted at the implication of never returning.

“What.Was.The.Bargain?”I enunciated each word, surprising even myself with my boldness.

She exhaled, a sound that resembled a chuckle before lifting her chin up with quiet power.The gold beads woven into her dark hair clinked together like distant bells.

Finally, she spoke.

“Bound by fire, forged in deceit.The mortal child shall bring defeat.A king of embers, a throne of flames, her will shall break his reign and name.On the year of her quartered life, she’ll be the end to his endless life.”

I blinked.No longer did I blame my mother for forgetting.

“Very….umm.Poetic?” I scrunched my face in confusion.“But.I don’t know what that means.”

Zaheera laughed—and I swore—it was the most terrifying sound I’d ever heard.

“A force beyond the Veil threatens your lands.A force not to be taken lightly.”

Her fingers traced an invisible shape in the air and before I could react, she waved her hand.A rush of wind engulfed me, the world around us vanishing.

Instead, there was darkness, then a vision from beyond.

Armies of men and women marching as one, their voices raised in rhythmic chants.Fists slamming against their chests in time with the pounding war drums.The air was thick with the scent of burning torches and the weight of an impending storm.They pressed forward until they reached a wall, almost invisible save for the faint shimmer that distorted the air around it.

A barrier between worlds.

At the very front, cloaked figures in dark robes stepped forward, placing their hands upon the Veil.Their lips moved in hushed incantations, voices weaving together in an ancient language beyond my comprehension.

The sky trembled.A deafening crack split the air like thunder as a jagged fissure snaked across the unseen wall, its edges pulsing with raw energy, threatening to shatter completely.

The vision shifted violently, throwing me backward, until I stood at the very rear.From the distance, the world beyond the Veil wavered like a mirage, unstable yet terrifyingly real.